Medieval & early modern Europe

Manuscript collections

Parker Library on the Web
Images of 6th-18th century manuscripts from the historic Parker Library at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Strengths are Anglo-Saxon, Anglo-Norman and Middle-English texts, and English illuminated manuscripts. Subjects represented include literature, theology, music, medieval travelogues and maps, apocalypses, bestiaries, royal ceremonies, historical chronicles and Bibles.

Medieval Travel Writing
Digital edition of manuscripts of some of the most important works of European travel writing from the later medieval period.

Microfilm corpus of unpublished inventories of Latin manuscripts through 1600 A.D. [microform]
RECAP Microfilm 06124
348 reels
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Z6605.L3 M52
This film set reproduces lists and inventories of Latin manuscripts from more than 100 libraries, primarily in Europe. While many of these lists have probably been superseded by online cataloging and finding aids, the scholar in search of the holdings of a particular library may find these helpful.

Medieval Manuscript Library of Pembroke College, Cambridge [microform]
RECAP: Mendel Music Library use only: Microfilm 1467
114 reels
Printed guide: Mendel Music Library Microfilm 1467 guide
"308 well-preserved manuscripts from the medieval college library at Pembroke College in Cambridge, England. Featured are 100 volumes formerly in the Library of The Abbey of Bury St. Edmunds....Authors represented include Ambrose, Anselm, Aquinas, Augustine, Bede, Bernard, Bonaventure, Cato, Gregory, Hieronymus, Hugo, Isidore, Justinian, Juvenal and Peter Lombard. The manuscripts date from the early 9th century to the 14th century."

Renaissance man [microform]: the reconstructed libraries of European scholars, 1450-1700. Series one, The books and manuscripts of John Dee, 1527-1608
Microfilm 08218
112 reels
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Z997.D298 B66
On John Dee, Renaissance astrologer and antiquary, see http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/7418. The collection reconstructs his library, which included books and manuscripts on many topics, but is especially rich in material on science and magic. See the online guide athttp://www.adam-matthew-publications.co.uk/digital_guides/.

Early printed books

Manuscripta: Microfilms of rare and out-of-print books
Microfilm 11644
1,105 reels
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Z1033.M5 S26
Material originally from the Vatican Library, but filmed for the Vatican microfilm collection at Pius XII Memorial Library, St. Louis University. Despite the title of the collection, it reproduces printed books, not manuscripts. Arranged more or less topically; consult the lists in the binder for related books. Note: there are records in the Main Catalog for some, but not all, of the items in the collection.

Incunabula [microform]: the printing revolution in Europe, 1455-1500
Microfiche 1545
Printed guide: Firestone Microforms Oversize Z240.A1 I528q
Very large collection of microfiche editions of incunables. Arranged variously: by topic (e.g. medical, romances), geographical (printing in England, printing in Venice), and by language (printing in Greek, printing in French.) Note: the indexes do not cover all of our holdings, and we continue to receive new material in this series.